David Reeb

Private Collection, Israel
Sale: Sotheby's, New York, December 18, 2007, lot 12
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Tel Aviv Museum of Art, David Reeb Paintings 1982-1994, 1994, no. 2, illustrated in color in the exhibition catalogue p. 34
Berlin, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Die Neuen Hebräer 100 Jahre Kunst in Israel, 2005, no. 300, illustrated in color in the exhibition catalogue p. 341

There are artist's pinholes on the corners and on the center of the top and bottom edges of all four panels. The colors are vibrant. There is some scattered craquelure throughout, especially in the red, black, and yellow works. A few areas of craquelure are lifting from the paper. When examined out of frame there are a few small tears, creases and losses along the edges and corners of the works. There is one 3 cm tear in the lower left corner of one of the red, black, and yellow works, and the upper left corner of the other red work is torn.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

David Reeb's paintings illustrate political and social commentary through an adept use of bold colors and geometrical abstraction, transforming his realistic source material - press photos, news stills - into colorful explorations of pattern, repetition, and color, reminiscent of American pop images of the 1960s.

In Bombed Kibbutz, Reeb has further altered his source material, in this case pastoral scenes of kibbutz life illustrated in photographs from a Jewish National Fund information bulletin. He paints the idyllic images in bright primary colors opposite fictitious scenes of their destruction painted in bold reds yellows and blacks. 

"This painting was painted as a response to the Lebanon War, and its intention, according to Reeb, is to make the bombings over Lebanon real to our senses by transferring them to Israel and giving expression to the destructive character of military aggression in relation to the utopian dream of Zionism." (Ellen Ginton, "David Reeb with Peace on the Horizon" in David Reeb Paintings 1982-1994, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, 1994, p. 115-116).